Scottish Executive

Agriculture

Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many businesses claimed less than €1,250 under the (a) Sheep Annual Premium Scheme, (b) Suckler Cow Premium Scheme, (c) Beef Special Premium Scheme, (d) Extensification Premium Scheme and (e) Arable Area Payment Scheme from 1 April 1999 to date, broken down by each Environment and Rural Affairs Department area office in the Highlands and Islands area.

Ross Finnie: The numbers of producers who claimed less than €1,250 under the schemes requested are given in the table. Figures for 2001 have not been supplied as scheme payments are continuing.

  


ERAD Highlands & Islands Area Office 
  

Scheme year 1999 
  

Scheme year 2000 
  



Oban 
  

114 
  

146 
  



Elgin 
  

21 
  

17 
  



Ayr 
  

6 
  

9 
  



Inverness 
  

255 
  

302 
  



Portree 
  

151 
  

175 
  



Benbecula 
  

302 
  

353 
  



Kirkwall 
  

90 
  

97 
  



Stornoway 
  

706 
  

835 
  



Lairg 
  

91 
  

132 
  



Thurso 
  

121 
  

160 
  



Lerwick 
  

319 
  

416 
  



Total 
  

2,176 
  

2,652

Agriculture

Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what total (a) forage and (b) arable area was covered by claims for area aid under the Integrated Administration and Control System in (i) 2000-01 and (ii) 2001-02 to date, broken down by each Environment and Rural Affairs Department area office in the Highlands and Islands area.

Ross Finnie: The total hectarage declared on area aid applications in scheme years 2000 and 2001 is given in the table.

  


ERAD Highlands & Islands Area Office 
  

2000
forage (ha) 
  

2000
arable (ha) 
  

2001
forage (ha) 
  

2001
arable (ha) 
  



Oban 
  

400,281.75 
  

1,363.33 
  

371,333.70 
  

1,294.50 
  



Elgin 
  

41,393.92 
  

4,812.07 
  

37,417.80 
  

2,282.40 
  



Ayr 
  

36,024.72 
  

523.17 
  

34,201.11 
  

514.95 
  



Inverness 
  

597,135.39 
  

25,122.56 
  

552,353.40 
  

12,200.00 
  



Portree 
  

106,633.52 
  

0 
  

52,461.15 
  

0 
  



Benbecula 
  

52,086.50 
  

691.92 
  

31,081.87 
  

656.12 
  



Kirkwall 
  

73,624.21 
  

4,040.90 
  

73,340.77 
  

3,808.90 
  



Stornoway 
  

99,165.52 
  

0.90 
  

41,766.66 
  

0 
  



Lairg 
  

175,140.56 
  

975.70 
  

124,054.90 
  

789.42 
  



Thurso 
  

187,504.85 
  

5,901.04 
  

149,908.70 
  

5,366.90 
  



Lerwick 
  

119,666.49 
  

84.29 
  

75,468.83 
  

67.97 
  



Total 
  

1,888,657.43 
  

43,515.88 
  

1,543,388.89 
  

26,981.16 
  



  The 2001 figures are only partial. They include only information on the IACS applications processed so far.

Agriculture

Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what total (a) forage and (b) arable area was covered by claims for area aid under the Integrated Administration and Control System by small producers in (i) 2000-01 and (ii) 2001-02 to date, broken down by each Environment and Rural Affairs Department area office in the Highlands and Islands area.

Ross Finnie: The total area of forage and arable land in scheme year 2000 is given in the table. "Small producers" were assumed to be those who earned a total of €1,250 or less in subsidy payments. Processing of the 2001 IACS is on-going and totals are not available at this stage.

  


ERAD Highlands & Islands Area Office 
  

2000 forage (ha) 
  

2000 arable (ha) 
  



Oban 
  

5,985.00 
  

3.70 
  



Elgin 
  

491.73 
  

13.21 
  



Ayr 
  

321.46 
  

0 
  



Inverness 
  

19,033.65 
  

32.61 
  



Portree 
  

6,862.50 
  

0.00 
  



Benbecula 
  

11,519.62 
  

101.17 
  



Kirkwall 
  

1,113.70 
  

16.63 
  



Stornoway 
  

36,604.92 
  

0.90 
  



Lairg 
  

6,682.82 
  

4.00 
  



Thurso 
  

6,629.38 
  

24.19 
  



Lerwick 
  

10,937.78 
  

0 
  



Total 
  

106,182.65 
  

196.41

Agriculture

Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) cattle and (b) sheep and how much arable ground were claimed for under the (i) Suckler Cow Premium Scheme, (ii) Beef Special Premium Scheme, (iii) Extensification Premium Scheme, (iv) Sheep Annual Premium Scheme and (v) Arable Area Payment Scheme in 2000-01 and 2001-02 to date and how many (a) cattle and (b) sheep and how much arable land were claimed for under each scheme by small producers, broken down by each Environment and Rural Affairs Department area office in the Highlands and Islands area.

Ross Finnie: The livestock numbers and arable land area in scheme years 2000 and 2001, for all Scottish producers, are given in tables 1 & 2. The 2001 figures are partial, as they include only information on the IACS applications processed so far. Table 3 shows "small producers" for scheme year 2000. These were assumed to be producers who earned a total of €1,250 or less in subsidy payments. Figures have not been provided for 2001 as processing is on-going.

  Table 1: 2000 scheme year

  


ERAD Highlands & Islands Area Office 
  

Sheep 
  

Suckler cows 
  

Beef cows 
  

Arable land (ha)1




Oban 
  

329,557 
  

21,978 
  

10,319 
  

1,363.33 
  



Elgin 
  

43,881 
  

10,371 
  

5,809 
  

4,812.07 
  



Ayr 
  

35,986 
  

3,441 
  

2,559 
  

523.17 
  



Inverness 
  

276,663 
  

28,853 
  

17,046 
  

25,122.56 
  



Portree 
  

94,927 
  

2,662 
  

383 
  

0 
  



Benbecula 
  

43,862 
  

2,026 
  

352 
  

691.92 
  



Kirkwall 
  

66,350 
  

30,596 
  

22,281 
  

4,040.90 
  



Stornoway 
  

91,116 
  

460 
  

287 
  

0.90 
  



Lairg 
  

86,034 
  

2,827 
  

1,349 
  

975.70 
  



Thurso 
  

149,065 
  

21,179 
  

10,230 
  

5,901.04 
  



Lerwick 
  

191,554 
  

1,893 
  

780 
  

84.29 
  



Total 
  

1,408,995 
  

126,286 
  

71,395 
  

43,515.88 
  



  Table 2: 2001 scheme year

  


ERAD Highlands & Islands Area Office 
  

Sheep 
  

Suckler cows 
  

Beef cows 
  

Arable land (ha)1




Oban 
  

325,116 
  

5,799 
  

7,299 
  

1,294.50 
  



Elgin 
  

42,159 
  

2,523 
  

3,160 
  

2,282.40 
  



Ayr 
  

34,364 
  

1,431 
  

1,877 
  

514.95 
  



Inverness 
  

266,534 
  

9,509 
  

9,534 
  

12,200.00 
  



Portree 
  

95,854 
  

407 
  

287 
  

0 
  



Benbecula 
  

42,099 
  

577 
  

222 
  

656.12 
  



Kirkwall 
  

65,724 
  

15,429 
  

11,824 
  

3,808.90 
  



Stornoway 
  

88,389 
  

73 
  

244 
  

0 
  



Lairg 
  

84,102 
  

541 
  

903 
  

789.42 
  



Thurso 
  

142,236 
  

6,467 
  

7,338 
  

5,366.90 
  



Lerwick 
  

189,611 
  

659 
  

475 
  

67.97 
  



Total 
  

1,376,188 
  

43,415 
  

46,163 
  

26,981.16 
  



  Notes:

  1. The above hectarage figures cover all land entered on Scottish Area Aid Applications and will include land farmed in England, Northern Ireland and Wales.

  Table 3: 2000 scheme year (small producers)

  


ERAD Highlands & Islands Area Office 
  

Sheep 
  

Suckler cows 
  

Beef cows 
  

Arable land (ha) 
  



Oban 
  

3,086 
  

120 
  

81 
  

3.70 
  



Elgin 
  

175 
  

11 
  

12 
  

13.21 
  



Ayr 
  

211 
  

3 
  

7 
  

0.00 
  



Inverness 
  

6,503 
  

244 
  

107 
  

32.61 
  



Portree 
  

4,751 
  

101 
  

14 
  

0.00 
  



Benbecula 
  

8,846 
  

90 
  

9 
  

101.17 
  



Kirkwall 
  

1,901 
  

39 
  

66 
  

16.63 
  



Stornoway 
  

26,898 
  

48 
  

39 
  

0.90 
  



Lairg 
  

4,207 
  

41 
  

13 
  

4.00 
  



Thurso 
  

4,526 
  

57 
  

35 
  

24.19 
  



Lerwick 
  

13,203 
  

14 
  

4 
  

0.00 
  



Total 
  

74,307 
  

768 
  

387 
  

196.41

Arts

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what sums are being reallocated from the departmental underspends, as outlined in its announcement of 19 September 2001, to the Scottish Arts Council, the Scottish Sports Council and the proposed national theatre company.

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made with regard to the funding and implementation of the proposals for a national theatre company.

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it anticipates that the proposed national theatre company will be fully operational.

Allan Wilson: Up to £1 million is being allocated to  sportscotland, the majority of which will be for repairs and maintenance to the National Centre, and £710,000 to the Scottish Arts Council. In the parliamentary debate on culture on 25 October, I gave a full account of our plans for the allocation to the Scottish Arts Council. I also stated in that debate that I am giving careful consideration to the paper submitted by the council on its deliberations further to the reports it commissioned on the feasibility of a national theatre for Scotland and the wider review of theatres. I look forward to making a statement shortly on the matter of theatre.

Bridges

Trish Godman (West Renfrewshire) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has received from drivers of hearses concerning the toll payments on the Erskine Bridge and whether toll payments by drivers of hearses are compulsory on other bridges where tolls are charged.

Sarah Boyack: The Executive has received two approaches on this issue, including the member’s own letter of 2 October. Hearses are required to pay tolls on all four tolled bridges in Scotland. I understand that the toll collector has an informal arrangement with local funeral directors to allow prepayment of tolls due by hearses and funeral cars to minimise delay at the toll booths.

Central Heating

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the provision of condensing boilers would be more efficient and beneficial to tenants than other options under its central heating installation programme and why provision of such boilers has not been specified within the programme for the private sector.

Jackie Baillie: The specification for the Executive’s Central Heating Programme does not prevent the council from specifying condensing boilers in improvement works, providing they come within the £2,500 grant.

Children

Karen Whitefield (Airdrie and Shotts) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made by the Child Support Group.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Child Health Support Group has been working hard to drive forward improvements in child health since the Minister for Health and Community Care announced its formation on 26 June last year.

  The group’s work has included the publication, in May of this year, of a Template for Children’s Health Services in Unified NHS Board Areas. It is also midway through a series of supportive visits to all health care systems in Scotland and on 27 February next year the group will be holding a conference which will bring together all those with an interest in children’s health and children’s health services in order to pass on the lessons learned.

Children’s Hearings

Scott Barrie (Dunfermline West) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it would consider reviewing the terminology used within the Children’s Hearings system, including the name itself, with a view to more accurately reflecting the function it fulfils and the roles of its officials.

Nicol Stephen: In its response to the recommendations of the Youth Crime Advisory Group, the Scottish Executive agreed to consider changing the name of the Children’s Hearings system. No clear consensus on a new name has emerged from the consultation. The Executive intends to keep the name under review pending further development of the system. Terminology within the system is often determined by statute but we are willing to consider changes which make the system better understood.

Defence

Trish Godman (West Renfrewshire) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what recent discussions it has held with the Ministry of Defence and the Department of Trade and Industry concerning the placing of government contracts with Scottish shipyards.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with both the Ministry of Defence and Department of Trade & Industry on a wide range of issues, including the placing of government contracts with Scottish shipyards.

Disabled People

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of (a) the adult working age population and (b) its own staff are registered disabled.

Angus MacKay: Since the introduction of the Disability Discrimination Act in 1995, there has been no centrally held register of disabled people. It is estimated that there are around 616,000 disabled people of working age in Scotland (19% of the working age population). Of these, 247,000 are in employment (7.6% of the working age population). (Source: Labour Force Survey summer 2000 estimate).

  The latest figure available for staff in the Scottish Executive who have a disability is 2.7% of the total staff. (Figure as at 1 October 2001). Staff are invited to self declare a disability in terms of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 but they are not required to do so.

Environment

Nora Radcliffe (Gordon) (LD): To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Executive proposes to take in light of The Nature of Scotland: A Policy Statement and whether any legislation will be introduced on the basis of the statement.

Henry McLeish: We have completed an extensive consultation on the proposals contained in The Nature of Scotland: A Policy Statement . Following that consultation, I am convinced that there is clear support for our policies from a wide spread of relevant interests. The Executive now intends to come forward with legislative proposals at an early opportunity and a draft Bill will be published as soon as possible.

Environment

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list the bodies and individuals with a statutory entitlement to object on scientific grounds to the designation of (a) Sites of Special Scientific Interest, (b) Special Protection Areas and (c) Special Areas of Conservation.

Rhona Brankin: Under S.28 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, Scottish ministers, the local authority and every owner and occupier of property within a proposed Site of Special Scientific Interest are entitled to be consulted and to object to notification on scientific, or any other, grounds. There is no statutory entitlement to object to Special Protection Area or Special Area of Conservation proposals.

Environment

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is a statutory obligation on Scottish Natural Heritage to undertake consultations with local people when proposing to designate areas of land and sea as (a) Sites of Special Scientific Interests, (b) Special Protection Areas and (c) Special Areas of Conservation.

Rhona Brankin: There is no statutory obligation on Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) to undertake consultations with local people prior to notifying a Site of Special Scientific Interest. Similarly, there is no statutory obligation on SNH to undertake consultations with local people regarding Special Protection Area or Special Area of Conservation proposals.

Environment

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many cases regarding the notification of an area of land as being of Special Scientific Interest were referred by Scottish Natural Heritage to the Advisory Committee on Sites of Special Scientific Interest in each of the last five years and how many times the advisory committee found against Scottish Natural Heritage.

Rhona Brankin: Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) has referred 21 notifications to the Advisory Committee on Sites of Special Scientific Interest (ACSSSI) since 1996. The table shows the number of cases regarding the notification of a Site of Special Scientific Interest which were referred to the ACSSSI in the five years from 1996 to 2000. Information for 2001, up to 11 October, is also provided. The statutory function of the ACSSSI is to provide advice to SNH regarding notifications and it is not possible to categorise this advice as simply for or against SNH. The table therefore shows a breakdown of ACSSSI responses under the following five categories:

  ACSSSI agree with SNH case, notification scientifically soundly based and no modifications required;

  ACSSSI agree with SNH case, notification scientifically soundly based but some adjustment to boundaries or citation could be considered;

  ACSSSI agree with SNH case, notification scientifically soundly based but boundary modification recommended;

  some doubts exist over the scientific case and re-examination on a different basis required to verify case before confirming, and

  scientific case not made.

  ACSSSI responses 1996 – 11 October 2001

  


Year 
  

No. cases referred to ACSSSI 
  

Agree with SNH case no modification required 
  

Agree with SNH case but adjustments to boundaries 
  or citation could be considered 
  

Agree with SNH case, but boundary modification 
  recommended 
  

Some doubts over overall case to be clarified 
  by SNH before proceeding 
  

Case not made 
  



1996 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  



1997 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  



1998 
  

7 
  

4 
  

0 
  

2 
  

0 
  

1 
  



1999 
  

1 
  

0 
  

0 
  

1 
  

0 
  

0 
  



2000 
  

8 
  

3 
  

4 
  

1 
  

0 
  

0 
  



2001
(to 11/10) 
  


5 
  


1 
  


1 
  


1 
  


1 
  


0 
  



Total 
  

21 
  

13 
  

5 
  

5 
  

1 
  

1 
  



  In 17 of the above cases SNH acted on the advice given by the ACSSSI. In three cases SNH did not accept the ACSSSI advice. Advice on one case is still to be considered by SNH.

Environment

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive, for each Environment and Rural Affairs Department office area, how many applications have been made to date under the Rural Stewardship Scheme, broken down into (a) applications not exceeding £1,000, (b) applications over £1,000 but not exceeding £10,000, (c) applications over £10,000 but not exceeding £50,000, (d) applications over £50,000 but not exceeding £100,000 and (e) applications over £100,000.

Ross Finnie: Details of the applications made to date under the Rural Stewardship Scheme (2001) for each area office are given in the table.

  


Area Office 
  

Not exceeding £1,000 
  

Over £1,000 but not exceeding £10,000 
  

Over £10,000 but not exceeding £50,000 
  

Over £50,000 but not exceeding £100,000 
  

Over £100,000 
  



Ayr 
  

- 
  

- 
  

21 
  

10 
  

10 
  



Benbecula 
  

- 
  

2 
  

- 
  

- 
  

- 
  



Dumfries 
  

- 
  

1 
  

18 
  

10 
  

2 
  



Dundee 
  

- 
  

- 
  

9 
  

6 
  

- 
  



Galashiels 
  

- 
  

1 
  

20 
  

20 
  

28 
  



Grampian 
  

- 
  

1 
  

54 
  

27 
  

17 
  



Hamilton 
  

- 
  

1 
  

3 
  

4 
  

1 
  



Inverness 
  

1 
  

13 
  

34 
  

13 
  

8 
  



Kirkwall 
  

- 
  

1 
  

15 
  

3 
  

3 
  



Lairg 
  

- 
  

- 
  

- 
  

1 
  

- 
  



Lerwick 
  

- 
  

- 
  

1 
  

1 
  

- 
  



Oban 
  

- 
  

- 
  

6 
  

14 
  

3 
  



Perth 
  

- 
  

1 
  

7 
  

6 
  

5 
  



Portree 
  

- 
  

5 
  

6 
  

- 
  

- 
  



Stirling 
  

1 
  

- 
  

14 
  

10 
  

5 
  



Stornoway 
  

- 
  

3 
  

6 
  

- 
  

- 
  



Thurso 
  

1 
  

1 
  

10 
  

6 
  

6 
  



Total 
  

3 
  

30 
  

224 
  

131 
  

88

European Funding

Hugh Henry (Paisley South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any finance from European structural funds is being used in order to help the Scottish economy to remain resilient in light of the current international situation.

Angus MacKay: European structural funds programmes are designed to increase the economic sustainability and social strength of member states. The funds raise employability, support business development and help our communities. Funding can only be offered where actions to support specific parts of the economy fit with the strategies for the programmes that have been agreed at local level.

  Since the strategies for programmes cover economic development and raising skill levels across the workforce at the local level, finance from European structural funds is helping the Scottish economy to remain resilient in the light of the current international situation.

European Funding

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive in what ways European funding contributes towards achieving social justice.

Angus MacKay: European structural funds, worth around £1 billion to 2006, complement a range of Scottish Executive policies aimed at meeting the social justice agenda. The funds are designed to improve the social and economic cohesion of member states, through economic and social development and enhancing employment opportunities.

Fireworks

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it has issued to local authorities to help reduce the number of injuries resulting from the use of fireworks during this year’s Guy Fawkes celebrations.

Dr Sylvia Jackson (Stirling) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what precautions it has taken in order to limit the number of injuries caused by fireworks.

Iain Gray: The sale, supply and safety of fireworks are consumer protection matters and as such are reserved. The Department of Trade and Industry runs annual firework safety campaigns and issues firework safety packs to trading standards departments, environmental health departments, fire brigades and police forces. Fire brigades undertake local work in schools and the wider community and the Scottish Executive supplements this by funding regular publicity on fire safety.

Fisheries

Mr Duncan Hamilton (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what its assessment is of the current state of the Scottish scallop industry.

Ross Finnie: The current state of the Scottish scallop industry is good. Output has been at record levels this year. However, the decision last week of the European Commission’s Standing Veterinary Committee to agree to the operation of a tiered testing system will require the industry to adapt to the new regime. The Executive and the Food Standards Agency will be consulting the industry and other interested parties within the next few weeks on possible options about how it is introduced.

Fisheries

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there will be a right of appeal, or right to resubmit applications, in respect of vessels on behalf of which bids are submitted to the Fishing Vessels (Decommissioning) (Scotland) Scheme 2001.

Rhona Brankin: No.

Flood Prevention

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the First Minister what action is being taken by the Scottish Executive to protect vulnerable communities from the effects of climate change and, in particular, from flooding.

Henry McLeish: The Executive has published a significant amount of research into the likely effects of climate change in Scotland. Most recently, research into Potential Adaptation Strategies for Climate Change in Scotland  was published last month. This research will inform our consideration of a strategic level response to assist local decision makers to implement adaptation strategies to protect their communities.

  On the specific risk of flooding, the Executive encourages local authorities to address flood risk of non-agricultural land, and has ensured that councils have the necessary powers and resources required. Additionally, with the launch of Floodline this morning, the Executive has provided for Scottish Environment Protection Agency’s flood warnings and information on the risk of flooding to be more readily available.

Foot-and-Mouth Disease

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the First Minister what submissions the Scottish Executive has made to the Inquiry by Dr Iain Anderson and the Scientific Review led by the Royal Society, both established by Her Majesty’s Government in response to the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak with a remit to cover Great Britain.

Henry McLeish: The Scottish Executive is contributing to both inquiries but no formal submission has yet been made. The Royal Society is making a fact-finding trip to Dumfries and Galloway this week and will meet my officials and other partners involved in disease control and eradication.

Further Education

Fiona McLeod (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the £7 million allowance to support colleges in financial difficulty announced by the Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning on 3 October 2001 will go to North Glasgow College in Springburn.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The Scottish Further Education Funding Council is responsible for allocating public funding to Scotland’s further education colleges. The additional sum of £7 million being made available to the Funding Council by the Scottish Executive is part of an overall package of extra resources amounting to £15 million. This new money is further evidence of the commitment of the Executive to boosting facilities and financial health within the further education sector.

Further Education

Fiona McLeod (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it plans to take to aid any colleges adversely effected by the Scottish Further Education Funding Council’s financial recovery plan.

Ms Wendy Alexander: Financial recovery plans, while requiring the approval of the Scottish Further Education Funding Council, are the property and responsibility of the individual college concerned.

  The Scottish Executive has recently made available £15 million in additional funding to the Scottish Further Education Funding Council, of which £7 million is intended to support colleges which have shown a determination to take the necessary action to secure their own long-term financial viability. Funding allocations to individual further education colleges are a matter for the Funding Council.

Health

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what patient groups currently receive palliative care services.

Susan Deacon: The Scottish Executive’s policy, as set out in Our National Health: A plan for action, a plan for change , is that anyone suffering from a progressive illness should receive palliative care. While traditionally associated with cancer, palliative care can also help those suffering from progressive conditions such as end-stage heart failure, Parkinson’s Disease, HIV/AIDS, Motor Neurone Disease, Multiple Sclerosis and vCJD.

Higher and Further Education

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it will issue to the Scottish Further and Higher Education Funding Councils following the publication of the report of the South of Scotland University Steering Group Higher Education in the South of Scotland.

Ms Wendy Alexander: I intend to include guidance on stimulating uptake of higher education and continuing professional development in the rural south in my letters of guidance to the Funding Councils for 2002-03. I have already asked the Chief Executive of the Funding Councils to establish a group bringing together representatives of relevant higher and further education institutes, local authorities and local enterprise bodies, as recommended in the steering group’s report.

Hospitals

Janis Hughes (Glasgow Rutherglen) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made in meeting the recommendations of Audit Scotland’s report A Clean Bill of Health .

Malcolm Chisholm: NHSScotland is making steady progress in improving the quality and effectiveness of cleaning services. Audit Scotland will be revisiting this issue in due course and I look forward to the report. I expect hospitals to work with the Clinical Standards Board for Scotland to implement a new standard for domestic services which will ensure the clean environment that patients need.

Justice

Bill Aitken (Glasgow) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is considering taking any steps to reduce the number of persons being imprisoned for non-payment of fines.

Mr Jim Wallace: Following a discussion in the Criminal Justice Forum, we have been discussing with a number of interests how the enforcement of fines might be improved, with a view to reducing the use of imprisonment as a last resort.

Justice

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there will be any delay in the establishment of Disclosure Scotland.

Mr Jim Wallace: Disclosure Scotland is being established within the Scottish Criminal Record Office for purposes of issuing criminal record certificates under Part V of the Police Act 1997. It had been intended that certificates would be available from January 2002 but we have deferred the start date until April 2002 so as to align it with the start date for England and Wales.

Justice

Scott Barrie (Dunfermline West) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made in relation to increasing the age of criminal responsibility.

Mr Jim Wallace: The Scottish Executive has asked the Scottish Law Commission to consider the issue of the age of criminal responsibility. On 31 July 2001 the commission issued a consultation paper setting out its preliminary views and is due to report to Scottish ministers at the end of the year.

Maternity Services

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made since the publication of A Framework for Maternity Services in Scotland in the recruitment and retention of midwives.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Framework for Maternity Services in Scotland launched on 2 February 2001 sets out guiding principles and actions to underpin the development of local maternity strategies.

  NHS Boards have been auditing their current maternity strategies against the framework and are developing the necessary action plans including one-to-one midwife care in labour and childbirth and other workforce issues.

  The nursing and midwifery recruitment and retention convention to be held on 19 November will bring together key players from Scotland and overseas to address long-term recruitment and retention issues.

NHS Staff

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the North Glasgow University Hospitals NHS Trust regarding negotiations with medical secretaries.

Malcolm Chisholm: This is a matter which has been taken forward by the Trust and which I understand has now been resolved successfully.

Nuclear Power

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what support it plans to provide to British Nuclear Fuels plc and its workforce at Chapelcross Nuclear Power Station in the preparation of proposals for a next generation nuclear power station on the Chapelcross site.

Mr Alasdair Morrison: We understand that British Nuclear Fuels plc expect that Chapelcross Power Station will remain operational until around 2010. Any proposal for a replacement nuclear power station at the site would rest entirely with the company. If such a proposal was forthcoming, application for consent for any new station would be considered by Scottish ministers under devolved powers under the Electricity Act 1989.

Oil Industry

Trish Godman (West Renfrewshire) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what recent discussions have taken place with the Department of Trade and Industry concerning dismantlement programmes for redundant offshore platforms and other structures, the need for location of suitable sites for such operations and the training of personnel to carry out the work.

Mr Alasdair Morrison: Oil company decommissioning programmes must be submitted to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) for agreement; for projects off Scotland, DTI consults the Scottish Executive. In addition, the Executive participates with DTI in the Fabricators Support Group of Pilot, the high level Government/oil industry task force. The FSG meets regularly to discuss all issues surrounding offshore fabrication; at its most recent meeting in October the issues covered included prospects for company diversification into decommissioning activities, and workforce skills.

Planning

Ian Jenkins (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how it intends to promote more effective public participation in the planning process and make the process more responsive to local concerns.

Lewis Macdonald: The Executive will issue a consultation paper later this month seeking views on a range of proposals aimed at securing more effective public involvement in planning.

Population

Trish Godman (West Renfrewshire) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many children were born in (a) West Renfrewshire, (b) Greenock and (c) Inverclyde in (i) 1997, (ii) 1998, (iii) 1999, (iv) 2000 and (v) 2001 to date.

Mr Jim Wallace: The information requested is shown in the table.

  


Number of live births, Scotland, 1997 to September 20011



 

1997 
  

1998 
  

1999 
  

2000 
  

20012 (Jan-Sept) 
  



Parliamentary Constituency 
  



West Renfrewshire 
  

774 
  

664 
  

714 
  

682 
  

483 
  



Greenock and Inverclyde 
  

731 
  

685 
  

699 
  

655 
  

498 
  



Council Area 
  



Inverclyde 
  

980 
  

910 
  

947 
  

863 
  

649 
  



1991 Census Locality3




Greenock 
  

551 
  

531 
  

512 
  

489 
  

392 
  



  Notes:

  1. Date of registration.

  2. Provisional.

  3. 1991 Census localities are continuously built up areas of 500 or more residents based on amalgamations of adjoining densely populated postcodes.

Poverty

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made on the establishment of a separate database to assist in the collection of statistics on poverty, as recommended in the First Report 1999-2000, Poverty in Scotland , by the Select Committee on Scottish Affairs; what representations it has made to Her Majesty’s Government on the development of such a database, and what the target date is for its implementation.

Jackie Baillie: The Scottish Executive made a bid to HM Treasury’s Evidence Based Policy Fund to fund a research project to develop a database of Scottish household income and a modelling capacity to address the increased need for income and poverty related analysis.

  The bid was successful and following a tendering process, the research contract was awarded to Stirling University in July 2001. The contractors are currently investigating the feasibility of combining existing datasets such as the Scottish Household Survey and the Family Resources Survey to provide a comprehensive base of Scottish information. The project is due to be completed in February 2002.

Prison Service

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how its policies and practices will deliver a world class prison service.

Mr Jim Wallace: At the end of last year the Scottish Prison Service launched a new, five-year vision and committed itself to the pursuit of correctional excellence. This vision sets out the service’s aspiration to be recognised as the leader in prison correctional work which helps reduce recidivism, contributes to the Scottish Executive aim of making Scotland’s communities safer, and thereby offers value for money to the taxpayer. In order to fulfil this aim, the Scottish Prison Service is developing strategies, including the use of the Business Excellence Model, for ensuring that it delivers the highest standards of service; provides effective prisoner opportunities which help reduce recidivism; develops staff who are recognised for their professionalism and for the difficult job they do on behalf of society; demonstrates real value for money to the taxpayer, and, critically, that the prison estate is fit for its purpose.

Prison Service

Trish Godman (West Renfrewshire) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive which prisons are currently overcrowded and what its plans are to address this issue.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  The following table displays the current prisoner population position in relation to available capacity as of Friday 5 October 2001.

  


Establishment 
  

Current Available Capacity 
  

Current Population 
  

% of Available Capacity 
  



Aberdeen 
  

155 
  

205 
  

132.3% 
  



Barlinnie 
  

836 
  

1,106 
  

132.3% 
  



Cornton Vale 
  

203 
  

250 
  

123.2% 
  



Edinburgh 
  

579 
  

666 
  

115% 
  



Greenock 
  

248 
  

311 
  

125.4% 
  



Inverness 
  

108 
  

111 
  

102.8% 
  



Polmont 
  

422 
  

460 
  

109% 
  



  A consultation on the Prisons Estates Review will issue shortly.

Public Transport

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the level of public consultation will be on the Strathclyde Passenger Transport Authority plans for the development of the Partick Interchange.

Sarah Boyack: Consultation on individual Public Transport Fund Bids is a matter for the Strathclyde Passenger Transport Authority (SPTA) as the promoting authority for this project.

  I understand that to date SPTA has consulted with industry partners, the statutory rail bodies, local authority officers, emergency services and rail user groups in the area.

  In addition a presentation of the full outline of the proposals was held for these organisations plus Glasgow City Council planning officials on 3 September 2001.

Rail Network

Mike Watson (Glasgow Cathcart) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how it intends to pursue the key developments of the Scottish rail network in light of Railtrack plc going into administration.

Sarah Boyack: The Executive is working closely with the UK Government and the Strategic Rail Authority to ensure that the new railway structure fully takes into account Scotland’s interests.

Roads

Mr Jamie Stone (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to maintain the safety and reliability of the trunk road network in the Highlands this coming winter.

Sarah Boyack: Winter maintenance plans for the trunk road network have been drawn up by the Operating Company (BEAR Scotland Ltd) and approved by the Scottish Executive. Following a successful winter maintenance conference held on 25 September 2001, the Executive will be holding detailed discussions with Highland Council, BEAR and the police to help ensure that winter maintenance planning for the trunk and local road networks is co-ordinated.

Schools

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what education research supports increasing significantly the number of composite classes of Primary 1, 2 and 3 children in order to achieve reduction of all class sizes to 30.

Mr Jack McConnell: Results from the school census indicate that between 1998 and 2000 the number of composite classes involving P1 to P3 classes declined from 2,374 to 2,329.

Scottish Executive Buildings

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish the advice upon which the decision to close its Environment and Rural Affairs Department area offices in Stirling, Dundee, and Forfar was taken.

Ross Finnie: No. It is not normal practice to actually publish advice, but the options considered can be summarised as follows:

  a. Reorganisation into a single new building in Perth.

  b. As (a) but retaining the Dundee Office.

  c. As (a) but retaining the Stirling Office.

  d. No new building, with alternative accommodation found in Perth and Dundee for displaced staff.

  Relocation to a single site in Perth was easily the most economical and attractive in terms of overall efficiency.

Shipbuilding

Trish Godman (West Renfrewshire) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many persons were employed in the shipbuilding industry in 1996 and how many are currently employed.

Ms Wendy Alexander: Data from the Office for National Statistics suggest that 11,200 people were employed in the building and repairing of ships in Scotland in 1996. Employment in the sector was 8,900 in 1999 (latest available data).

Sustainable Development

Mr Kenneth Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress the Scottish Ministerial Group on Sustainable Development is making in helping to implement the plans outlined in Working together for Scotland: A Programme for Government .

Ross Finnie: The Ministerial Group on Sustainable Scotland has played a key role in ensuring that the plans outlined in Working together for Scotland: A Programme for Government are implemented in a way which takes sustainable development into account. Policy areas examined by the group include planning, health, transport and European funds. On 9 October I announced the group’s four point action plan further to embed sustainable development in the Scottish Executive.

Transport

John Farquhar Munro (Ross, Skye and Inverness West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it is making towards meeting its targets on moving freight from road to rail.

Sarah Boyack: We continue to be fully committed to encouraging the transfer of freight from road to rail and waterborne modes of transport.

  We have already made awards of Freight Facilities Grant (FFG) that will remove over 13.4 million lorry miles from Scotland’s roads each year including 11.5 million for rail projects.

  I expect to make further awards of FFG in the coming months that will achieve our target of making awards of FFG, by March 2002, that will remove 18 million lorry miles from Scotland’s roads each year.